The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1887-02-19

gAdoNRoE, La, FEBRUARY 10, 1887.
COL. McCLUNG's DUELs. /
A subscriber to the Jackson (Nliss)
Clarion, residing In Texas, in response
to the suggestion of q correspondent,
has copied the following from "The
Field of Honor" by Truman:
zone Of the most noted and dan.
gerous American az duelists was Col.
McGlung, felIow-ofiicer with JEFF
fers0n Davis In the1 First mississippi
Rifles, and who served with distinc-
tlon In the Mexican war. McClung
came Of q good Virginia family, being
nephew Of Chief Justice Marshall
but when under the influence Of liquor
was morose and dictatorial. He
moved to Mississippi In 1884, and had
been In the State only few months
when he became involved in quarrel
with Col. Allen, one of the most be-
loved and honored men in Mississippi.
II was trivial QUARREL but McClung
refused to allow of any settlement and
brought the affair to a duel. The
terms were such as would have seemed
extraordinary to the Creole admirers of
the Code, says some writer, and 1t is
doubtful whether they would have
recognized It as a legitimate duel.
The two antagonists were TO stand
forty PAGES apart, armed with bowie
knife and pistol, and were to advance
on each other firing at discretion. AL
len kept his pistol covering McClung
a. has slowly advanced upon him.
What was the surprise of the audience
to see McClung suddenly raise his pis-
toi, aim and fire at q distance of over
one hundred feet! Allen fell to the
ground shot through the mouth aud
MORALLY wounded. McClung's shot on
this occasion is the best on record in q
Southern duel, one hundred feet being
a much longer range than the dueling
pistol Is suited to.
sGnThis was only one of McClung's
many affairs, In all of which his OPP
ponents were killed, one of them being
his own cousin. His last fight was
with young Meneiee, near Vicksburg,
just before the Mexican war, in the
presence Of large number of specta,
tors. The weapons were Mississippi
rifles, distance sixty yards. McClung
was q dead shot, while Menefee, who
had recently arrived in Mississippi
from Kentucky, was no novice with
shooting irons. The description OF the
duel Is thus told by correspondent
Sixty yards was the distance chosen,
aud when the seconds went to meas
ure OF the ground it was with great
difficulty that the crowd could be
forced back 30 as to allow the fight to
0vn an A~,vr al
the rifles placed In the combatants'
hands. sAre you ready?" "Rsady !"
both firmly responded. "Fire; one,
two" here Menefee's rifle exploded
and the bullet whistled by the head of
McClung and lodged In tree that
appeared TO be on an exact line with
the body Of the latter, To the surprise
Of every one McClung, instead offring
his piece, attempted to break it in
half and with fierce oath hurled it
q distance Of twenty feet away where
1t altghted upon a pile of sand and
stuck, muzzle down, several feet in it.
The seconds soon learned the cause of
this strange action-the gun had hung
IRE. 1t was..rescued, the sand removed
from the muzzle and reloaded. After
an interval Of ten minutes tho comba-
tants resumed their positions, and the
crowd gathered around them again.
During the interval many bets had
been wagered on the result of the duel,
the odds being generally in favor of
Menefee, who was a popular favoriie,
and who was, moreover, generally
supposed to be more proficient with
the rifle. The word was given again.
This time Meetings. piece was more
faithful. Before Menefee's finger had
pressed the trigger OF his rifle, that of
McClung's had been discharged, and
the ball striking the cock of Menefee's
gun hurled piece of it deep into the
brain of the unfortunate young man,
who fell and died before he could be
removed from the field. 1t is said
that McClung, rising to his full height
peered through the smoke to see if b is
antagonist was surely dead. He then
dropped upon his knees and pressing
his rife tenderly to his bosom, kissed
1t aftectionateiy as lover would his
mistress, or mother her child"
s'The tragic history and death of
Col. Alex. *. MeClung, of Missis-
sippi, has connected his name with
a melancholy interest. On the bloody
fields of Mexico he won renown as
tsthe bravest of the brave in personal
proves he lowered like Saul among
the 1sraelites; In the forum and on
the huatinOa his clarion yo;oo ..,.a